Secret Santa Paws Came to Town! (And Another Purrs and Prayers Request for Evan)

We'll be getting to our planned Secret Paws reveal and gift opening shortly. But, first, we'd like to ask for a few more purrs and prayers for Evan. Anyone who has visited us recently might know that Evan was rushed to the emergency vet and hospitalized for a urinary blockage, specifically a urethral obstruction, the day after Christmas. He was there being treated for 2 days. He's been doing very well since returning home, but the past few hours have been some sort of rollercoaster.

Last night, Evan urinated very normally, but I did debate with myself whether I saw very dilute blood in it or not. I ultimately convinced myself that it was not, though I immediately became a nervous wreck. I'm now thinking that might indeed have been very dilute blood I saw. Early this morning I caught Evan licking his urethra quite intently, and when I checked there was a drop of blood mixed with urine on his urethra. He was also very agitated with me when I looked, and I also noticed some urethral spasms going on with the poor boy. Honestly, due to his hind limb paralysis and everything else going on back there for this poor boy, urethral spasms are nothing new for Evan. These, however, were very noticeable, and the spasms even climbed up his abdomen. He still had urine coming out, as his urinary incontinence had been very normal, even a bit excessive, overnight.

All that to say, Evan is at his regular vet getting checked over today. I can't tell you how happy I was when Evan's nervous bladder emptied itself in his carrier on the way to the vet. And there wasn't even a single drop of blood in it. I might be overreacting by rushing him back to the vet this morning, but both his vet and myself would rather he be looked at than him end up being blocked again.

Now, while I nervously await news from the vet, let's move on to something far more fun and happy. We again participated in the Secret Paws gift exchange, which BJ Bangs organized this time around in honor of Paula Gregg, who was the mastermind behind it for years before her sad passing this year. This year, we received gifts from kitties Savannah, Sage, Katie, Domino, foster Binky, and their mom Linda. You can visit their wonderful blog over at Savannah's Paw Tracks. We also sent them their Secret Paws gifts this year, just like we did back in 2016.

We admittedly didn't open our gifts until Evan was home from his initial hospitalization and was feeling like himself again. That means we extended Christmas through last week, when we opened our amazing gifts from our Secret Santa Paws. Evan made it clear right away that he was feeling more than ready for the gifts, when he first claimed the tissue paper from the box.

Then we really dug in, and the kitties immediately knew what was going on.

As someone who loves to draw, these catnip crayons truly made me smile.

The kitties also found the crayons incredibly fun, and they even thought the box was one of the funnest toys around.

The kitties really hit the jackpot, that's for sure.

Evan immediately claimed an adorable fishy toy that we received.

He may or may not have looked a tad bit possessed while having his way with the poor fish.

The kitties also received some tasty treats.

Due to his newest urinary tract issues, I've been trying to find some treats that Evan can more safely eat. The bag of treats on the right contains freeze-dried chicken breast, which would be a perfect option for Evan, and he loved them.

And don't think this here human was forgotten. I certainly hit the jackpot as well.

Thank you so much to Savannah, Sage, Katie, Domino, Binky, and their wonderful mom Linda! You went above and beyond and made our Christmas extra special. Purrs and many thanks to you!

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Another Neverending Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

I am such a mess, and I apparently neither uploaded nor have on me the flash drive containing our final Christmas doodles we wanted to share. I couldn't even currently tell you where that flash drive is. We'll therefore put a festive flashback here, and for another day or two, maybe even three, you'll still be seeing some lagging Christmas doodles. Once I can get Evan past all of these urinary issues, I am going to really, truly get my act together and follow the schedule I've created that will hopefully keep me, my creative endeavors, and our blog posts on track. For now, though, you get the Hot Mess Express. All aboard.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on caring for ferals and other outdoor cats is to perhaps consider offering them toys, such as inside a shelter you've set up for them. Cats are cats, and even feral cats often have a healthy instinct to play. Pick toys that will not scare them, and toys that will not make them fear being heard by predators. For example, perhaps avoid toys that jingle, squeak, or that make other loud noises. What's more, when picking out toys for them, also pick those that can be easily cleaned. Pick toys that are plastic and can be soaked and washed if dirty, or toys made of fabric that is able to be easily and thoroughly washed. Even ferals and other outdoor cats often have a desire to play, so perhaps do consider offering them toys that safely allow them to do so.